To build trust and solid working relationships with employees and others in the organization, it’s important to be seen as someone who is committed to sharing information with others and who goes beyond communicating only what is necessary. Developing a climate in which you and your team are open with information—information exchanges between you and your people, between departments or divisions, and between team members—is critical in order to function effectively.

Find out what your employees want to know.

Encourage your staff to keep one another informed and share information.

Establish a departmental bulletin board to keep people up-to-date on both personal and professional items of interest.

Hold periodic staff meetyings to share information about recent developments in the organization.

Alert your manager to possible implications of events occurring either inside or outside of the organization. Don’t assume that your manager is aware of these implications.

Don’t “shoot the messenger” of bad news.

Ask your manager which key people you should keep informed.

List the key organizational people upon whom your success depends, and make a special effort to keep them informed.

Copy your manager on all correspondence to managers in the organization at his or her level or higher level.

Ask your manager about any perceived “surprises” in your area and then look for ways to avoid recurrences.

Don’t gloss over anything that goes wrong in your area. Report the situation as accurately as possible.

Talk with peers or people in other departments about “communication breakdowns.” Devise ways to avoid them.

Always double check all written communications before mailing; also ask yourself, “Who else should know about this?”

Use the “informal organization” as a way of keeping others informed. Wander around, have coffee with people, ask them questions, and so on.

At the end of every day, ask yourself of what occurred that should be reported to other people.

Return phone calls promptly.

Make a point of updating the appropriate people even when nothing new has developed.

Ask your secretary to suggest who should be copied on documents you produce.

Appoint a “recorder” for the meetings you conduct and have the minutes distributed to the appropriate people.

Promptly respond to notes, letters, and other requests so people know what you are doing about their communications.

If they are available, use electronic aide (voice mail, email) to pass along information that doesn’t require face-to-face exchange when you cannot do so in person or in writing.

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